


Green Tinted Glasses

by Celebrusc



Series: The Prince and the Rogue [2]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: AU, Dark, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 09:50:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3285884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celebrusc/pseuds/Celebrusc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shot from the prompted "try writing something where the second half of the first sentence is 'was/were not what it/they seemed'."<br/>Premise: Rita only cast one spell in Green with Evil', and that was a loyalty spell, the rest was all Tommy. Afterwards, Tommy simply convinced everyone else that he was a loving good guy. Many years later as he trains the DinoThunder team, Jason - the only person to know the truth - lurks amongst the trees watching, and reflects.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Green Tinted Glasses

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer Power Rangers are not mine, I only steal their strings occasionally. I am a poor student and am making no money from this work.
> 
> Wrote it as a prompt for my writing group, and a friend (when I admitted it was Rangers, and not OF) told me to post it. Along with a prod to write more in this 'verse. I may do so, I have worked out the plot, but I am terrible at getting around to posting things.  
> Anyway, enough from me, enjoy.

From where I’m standing, you would be forgiven for mistaking him for the champion he pretends at times to be, but he is not what he seems. The Defender of Downtrodden, Guardian of the Innocent, Warrior of the Light, all parts he plays. When you see him patiently explaining to them how their powers work. When you see him risking his life to protect them, being trapped in an attempt to find out information they need, you may be forgiven. But it is you who are being lured into the trap.

The black he wears is not representative of the darkness in his heart. It is far too absolute. Just like the red did not stand for the blood he has spilt, or the white for the grief he has left in his wake. He is not that simple. For he does care. Cares to push them further, to help them understand the world - the galaxy, to show them exactly what he wants them to see.

By this time next year they will have passed the Gauntlet. Defeated the monster that dares threaten their home. Strong, powerful, they will be a team that understands their limits and instinctively knows - trusts- their other members. Trusts him. So he will lead them merrily dancing down the path he wishes them to take. Just like he did the others before them.

By the time he permits them to see the truth of himself it will be far too late. They won’t even question it. His orders, the pain, the suffering, the EVIL that pervades his being - and their actions. They will trust him, because that is what he has taught them to do. With careful coaching and disposable minions he has created a filter over their eyes, and yours.

As I look at him, I remember the boy I once called brother, but that was a lie as well. I know part of why I survive is my skill, that if anyone was ever his equal it was me. But most of why I survive is him. Even as he corrects her form his eyes seek mine in the shadows at the edge of the property. Where I know I can’t be seen. He doesn’t say a word, makes no further motion to acknowledge me, and turns back to the teenagers around him. I listen to them laugh and am struck hard by the memories it evokes of the past. Memories that make it all the harder to stand against him.

You will never see past what he wants you to see, at times I wish I didn’t. At times I think he lets me live merely to taunt me or to have an opponent that can truly test his mettle, an audience to his masterpiece. Mostly I think, I hope, its for the same reason I couldn’t end this before it began. Even when he begged. We thought when green faded to white we had won, we had saved him. We forgot that serpents shed their skin. I doubt that even now, given the chance, I could deal the final blow. Even seeing what I’ve seen, knowing what I know.

Even if I could, it wouldn’t break the glass. Neither my words nor his death will ever shatter the illusion he has wrought. Because you won’t want it to. We want to believe in Heroes, in Champions, in Fairytales and Happy Endings. We’re human, its what we do.

I just wish I hadn’t woken up. Stepped from dream to twisted nightmare.  
Nothing is as it seems, and you will never see the Dragon standing where you think your Prince to be.


End file.
